What is a permit?
A permit allows residents using a vehicle other than a car to deposit household waste from their own property. The permit allows one visit.
Who is the permit system for?
Wigan Recycling Centres are for Wigan Borough residents only and should only be used for disposing household waste from their property. Trade waste is not permitted, this includes waste from traders, landlords or property developers. See our Trade Waste page for further information.
How do I order a waste permit?
A waste permit allows you ONE visit to the recycling centre. You can request 2 types of permits:
*If you only have a small amount of garden waste which exceeds one bins worth, then please apply for a standard waste permit and select garden waste from the drop-down menu.
What happens if the details provided on the permit are incorrect?
You should ensure all details are correct before coming to the recycling centre. Failure to do so will result in you being refused access. If you notice that something is incorrect, please apply for another single use permit and allow the incorrect permit to expire. Permits will only be counted when they are scanned at the recycling centre.
How can I order a waste permit if I have no computer?
You can use the computers at our Life Centres in Wigan or Leigh or any one of the Council’s libraries
Why do I need to show proof of address or identification?
Many neighbouring authorities have introduced similar measures and/or restricted access to their sites in some form, such as booking systems. Therefore, the driving licence check ensures that residents from out of the Borough are not disposing of their waste at our expense.
This is also used to verify your details against your waste permit. This will prevent misuse of the waste permit.
What proof of address or identification do I need to take to the recycling centre?
You will need to bring along your photo driving licence to verify your address and ID. If you still have the paper driving licence, then a utility must be shown alongside this.
Is there a charge for the permit?
No, the permits are issued free of charge for Wigan Borough residents to deposit household waste.
Is there a limit on the number of permits I can have?
There is a review after 12 permits have been redeemed. At this point each case is reviewed individually.
The amount brought to site should be reasonable but depends on the size of the vehicle used. The permit system is monitored and anyone abusing the system will be stopped for having permits.
What if I am using a hired van?
You will still need to apply for a free single use waste permit but only once you have hired your vehicle. Once you have your hire vehicle documents you can apply for your single use waste permit online and complete all the details, registration, type of vehicle etc. You will also need to take your hire agreement along with your permit and driving licence to the recycling centre.
Can I use a works van?
Yes, you can still use your commercial vehicle and would still need to apply for a free single use waste permit. You must seek permission from the owner of the vehicle that you can use it for this purpose. We need to be able to ascertain that you are a householder rather than a trader.
How long does it take to get a permit?
You will receive your free single use waste permit via email within 2 hours of applying. If you do not receive your permit, please check your spam folder before applying again.
Do I have to print the waste permit out?
No, you can just show your single use waste permit using a smart phone or any mobile device. If you don’t have access to one of these devices you can use a home computer or you can visit our Life Centres in Wigan or Leigh or any one of the Council’s libraries to order and print your permit.
What do I do if I delete the email with my permit details?
You can request for the single use waste permit to be reissued. This can only be done if the permit has not expired or previously been used.
What do I do if my permit expires?
If your permit expires before you get the chance to use it, you will just need to apply for another permit and the expired permit will be inactive and will not be counted as used. Only used permits will be counted.
Where can I find out more?